Chasing Glory
by lanigem03
Summary: Elena made her choice that day on the bridge, and so Damon had kept his word. But now everything was different, and nothing was the way it was supposed to be. Damon x Elena. A different path for them in season 4. *Semi-permanent hiatus*
1. Preface

**Chasing Glory**

By Lanie

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Delena.

A/N: So. I wasn't incredibly satisfied with the Damon/Elena scenes in the first episode of Season 4 - or maybe I should say it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. And I've had this idea for a while now. So I went with it. I wanted to get it out before the second episode aired, so here's the first (and shortest) instalment.

* * *

Preface

He sat as still as a corpse in a room as black as night. He didn't know how long he'd been there for - it could have been hours, but it could have just as easily been days if it wasn't for the lack of sunlight pouring through the cracks in the curtains. The room was almost entirely silent; the only sounds the ticking of the clock across the room and a dripping tap somewhere upstairs.

He lifted the bottle in his hand to his lips, waiting for drops of whisky that would never come. The bottle was empty and had been for a while now. But he couldn't get up yet. Every inch of him screamed stay. Mystic Falls was the only place he'd ever really felt an attachment to. He shook his head, just slightly, just enough to skip the thought pulsing at the edge of his mind. He refused to believe it was because of her.

He tossed the bottle carelessly across the room and let it shatter into shards of glass on the floor. His head spun but he could feel the dull effects wearing off already. The numbness he sought for in the bottom of the bottle never came. She was still there. She was always there.

"But she's alive," he slurred under his breath. As if reminding him self of this fact would make it any better. As if it would fix how everything had fallen to pieces in the last few days. As if it would take away the shock that the thought brought with it.

But she wasn't alive, not really. She was a vampire. And even though it wasn't rational, he couldn't ditch the feeling of guilt eating him from the inside out. Somehow, this was his fault. And this time he couldn't fix it. He was helpless. He didn't know where she was right now, but for the first time in a long time he really didn't want to know. One thing was for sure: wherever she was, she was with Stefan. She had chosen him again.

He hadn't been surprised when she had called just before the accident, not really. Every inch of him knew he didn't deserve her, knew he would never be able to measure up to his brother in her eyes. She loved _him_, and just like the words she had spoken to him numerous times, she always would.

But the words had still burned his ears just like the first time she'd spoken them. Just as they had a couple of hours ago when they'd spoken briefly about her returning memories. The memories he had held alone, inside for months. Years. Because deep down he had known the truth. Remembering wouldn't change anything.

_"You asked me to make a choice, Damon. So I did." _

And it was Stefan. It would always be Stefan.

A small amount of light began to pour through the crack in the window and stood up quickly. It was dawn. He had to get out now. He didn't know how long his brother would be out for, but he knew if he left it any longer he would change his mind again. Because he was selfish and being close to Elena as anything was better than not knowing her.

But this time, he wasn't going to screw it up. She had made her choice. And he was going to keep his end of the bargain.

The cold autumn air hit him hard as he swung open the door. He felt the last traces of whisky leave his body, his mind as clear as it had been in weeks.

He was as good as gone.

* * *

A/N: And thank-you to the anonymous review that corrected the spelling of Stefan. Much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 1

**Chasing Glory**

By Lanie

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Delena.

* * *

Chapter 1

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, perplexed. How many times had she stood in the same place, staring at precisely the same body that now looked so incredibly unfamiliar? She put a finger to her lips, the same lips that had spoken her last words to her parents. The same lips she had used to scold her younger brother with so many times over the years. The same lips she had pressed awkwardly against her first boyfriend back in the sixth grade and then wondered for weeks what all the hype was about kissing a boy.

The same lips she had first kissed Stefan with three years ago and realized exactly what it was she had been missing.

The lips she had not been able to stop from pressing against Damon just weeks before when the fire had flared through her cheeks and down through her body, burning her everywhere until she didn't even know how to stand anymore.

And yet now, somehow, everything was different. Some sort of hidden curve, something so subtle not even she could sort it out.

But she knew where it came from, because she knew what she was now.

She was a vampire.

It had been almost a week since she'd woken up in her bed with the Salvatore brothers surrounding her. She had known instantly that there was something wrong. She could see it in their faces. Seven days later and she still woke up every day with the same feeling in the pit of her stomach: raw, unadulterated panic. Even the gentle pull of Stefan's arms couldn't take it away, not really. The fear stayed with her throughout every moment of every day.

Stefan had tried again and again to get her to drink animal blood, but she hadn't been able to keep any of it down. The look on his face as she retched the deer blood back up on the roots of nearby tree made her stomach drop every time. She had never wanted to be a vampire, but he was doing the best he could to help her. She wanted so badly to make him proud.

She just couldn't. And he didn't understand.

She looked away from the mirror, biting back the tears that threatened to spill over. Stefan had told her that her emotions were going to be heightened, but she was tired of crying. All she wanted was to get through this the best that she could. She would watch each time as Stefan poured a cup of human blood out of a bag and heated it in the microwave. She knew he was trying to hide the blatant look of disappoint on his face. But he couldn't.

Deep down she knew there was only one person she knew that would truly understand.

She hadn't heard from Damon since their talk outside her house when he had threatened to kill Matt. She had been angry, angrier than she had ever remembered being in her human lifetime, and she had said more than she had intended to. She had played the conversation over in her head again and again, wishing she could take some of it back. Wishing that it hadn't even happened at all. Wishing she could say something that would clear the air between them and put everything back to normal.

But now, a week later, she was getting fed up. She had asked Stefan to go over to the Salvatore mansion and check on him earlier in the day, just to make sure he was okay. She knew it wasn't rational for her to be worrying just because he didn't want to be around her. It had been her that had chosen Stefan, and her that had chased him away in the process. Pushing him away had been her intention. She couldn't really blame him for listening.

But the raw, irrational part of her new vampire self hated him for it.

She heard Stefan open the door downstairs and sat down on the bed, fiddling with her new daylight ring. It was beautiful; she couldn't deny that fact, and she knew its purpose was to give her freedom. But the longer she had it on, the longer it felt like a prison. She was trapped here, in a body she barely knew anymore. Trapped in her emotions.

"Hey," she forced a smile as he appeared in the doorway, looking as perfectly put together as ever. A beat passed before she looked into his eyes and then she knew something was wrong. He immediately looked down at the floor and then up at her face. Her heart dropped.

"He's gone, Elena," he whispered finally.

"Gone?" Elena stood up, panic rising in her chest. "What do you mean, gone?"

He crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, putting his head in his hands.

"He's gone. The house is empty. Looks like it has been for quite a few days now," he said. "He left."

Elena swallowed her shock and began to rationalize the way she did best.

"This isn't the first time Damon has left Mystic Falls, Stefan. He's done it a million times. He probably just needed to get away for a little while," she asserted. "He's probably just at some bar somewhere in the next state over, drinking until he does something stupid. Then he'll be back."

The room was quiet.

"I don't think he will this time."

"Stefan, what are you talking about?" Elena insisted. "Just tell me. Please."

"We made a pact, Elena," he replied. "Months ago. That whoever you chose, the other would leave town and let them be happy together."

Elena froze, the panic growing exploding inside of her with every word.

"You made a pact about me, and neither of you even thought to tell me?" she choked, her heightened emotions getting the best of her once again.

"I'm sorry Elena," Stefan said softly. "I really didn't think he'd do it. I didn't think."

They stayed there, allowing the silence to take over the room. Elena could hear each and every car that passed outside on the street like it was right there in front of her. She folded her arms and swallowed. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"I'm tired, Stefan." she said finally. He looked up at her for a moment, seeing through her like he always did.

"Elena..." he began, and then stopped as though he could see the strain in her eyes. She looked away. "Goodnight, Elena."

As soon as he left the room Elena collapsed on the edge of the bed, her hands on her knees. She couldn't believe it. He couldn't be gone.

She picked up her cellphone and fumbled to dial the familiar number. It rang once and went straight to voicemail. She tried again, and the same thing happened. She threw it across the room in frustration and folded her knees in to her chest, letting the panic overwhelm her.

She couldn't do this without him.

* * *

Damon sat down at a bar and ordered a drink. He was fairly sure he had never been to this one before, and therefore he hoped that no one would recognize him. He'd been at a different one every night since he'd left Mystic Falls, and the truth was that everything started to look alike after a while. And he wasn't getting used to it.

He looked down at his cellphone in surprise as it began to ring for the first time in a week. Elena's number lit up the screen. His stomach dropped, her face appearing in his head like she was right there in front of him. He instantly hit the end call button. Grabbing the glass from the bartender's hand, he threw his head back and downed the drink in one go.

Almost immediately the phone began to ring again. He closed his eyes and breathed.

Damon dropped it on the floor, kicked it under the bar and walked out.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chasing Glory**

By Lanie

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Delena.

A/N: Just so everyone is clear, this story is AU from the first episode of the fourth season onward. I have not and will not take the second episode or any of the upcoming episodes into consideration when I'm writing this story. Also, constructive criticism is welcomed! Thanks!

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Chapter 2

"Hi Elena!"

Caroline danced into the room, a ray of sunshine as bright as ever. Elena wouldn't admit it out loud, but every time she'd seen her blond friend since the transition it had left a bad taste in her mouth. It was only today, looking up at the bright light in her eyes, that she realized what it was. Elena faked a smile, swallowed her pride, and stood up to hug her friend.

"Hi Caroline," she said carefully.

It was jealousy. Elena was undeniably jealous of Caroline. She was a vampire too; she had gone through the same thing that Elena was at that very moment. But staring at her right then, she couldn't remember a time when she had looked more human. And the more she felt it, the more she hated herself for it. All Caroline was trying to do was help. What was wrong with her?

"How are you feeling? How much has she been keeping down?"

Caroline turned around, changing the direction of her speech from Elena to Stefan as he entered the room behind her. Elena seethed and bit her lip to keep from saying something she didn't mean.

"About the same as ever I'm afraid."

"Have you tried the animal blood again?"

She bit harder.

"This morning."

"And?"

"She still can't seem to make it stick."

"Guys!" Elena cut them off suddenly. This was how it had been every single time someone had come to visit since she'd turned. She couldn't stand it. She was still Elena; she was still herself. "I'm right here. You can talk to _me _about this."

The room was silent as they blinked at her, and she felt her face flush immediately.

"Of course," the warm smile returned to Caroline's face and she nodded. "Stefan, do you think we could have a few minutes? Girl time?"

"Yeah, of course," Stefan smiled at her and she forced herself to smile back at him. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

As soon as he'd left the room, Caroline spun around and pulled Elena down onto the corner of the bed with her.

"Okay Gilbert, spill. What on earth was that all about?"

Elena's cheeks flushed once again and she looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry, Car, I don't know what's wrong with me," she said.

"I do," Caroline opened her mouth and her fangs appeared, razor sharp and deadly. The same ones Elena had now. Caroline pointed to her mouth and tapped one knowingly. "This is what's wrong with you."

"No," Elena said immediately. "I mean yes. I mean... I don't know."

"What is it, Elena?" Caroline's fangs disappeared and her playful tone faded into worry. "Is something wrong? I mean," she laughed uneasily. "Something else... related or otherwise unrelated to your current situation?"

Elena listened carefully for the youngest Salvatore downstairs, and heard the front door shut quietly. Stefan was being a gentleman, as always. The guilt was crushing her. She swallowed.

"Elena?"

"It's nothing," she whispered. "I'm fine."

"Elena Gilbert don't you try that bullshit with me," Caroline said. "He can't hear you. It's just us. Now spill."

"I just... I feel like I can't breathe," Elena bit back tears that jumped to the front of her eyes. "I know everyone means well; Jeremy, Matt, Stefan, you. And that's why I can barely stand it. I want to be the girl you guys know. I'm trying, I promise you I am. But nothing feels right, and right now I just can't breathe."

The room was silent once again. Caroline reached over and took her hand. A tear slipped down the edge of Elena's face. It was the first time she had admitted it out loud, and it sounded even worse than she'd imagined. Caroline squeezed her hand and she forced herself to continue.

"It just feels like... I can't learn to be me again if no one lets me try. Time is going by, and I know people are getting frustrated. I know you guys. But I don't even know how to _be_ a vampire."

"I'm sorry Elena," Caroline said slowly. She wrapped both of her hands around Elena's. "Sometimes I forget..." she trailed off, staring at the wall. Suddenly, she stood up and through her arms in the air excitedly. "Oh! I know! I've got it!"

"What?" Elena said, confusion twisting itself into her features.

"Is Jeremy home?" Caroline asked excitedly.

"Um, yeah, I think so..." Elena quickly wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. "He should be in his room, why-"

"Because _I_ have an idea," Caroline declared, and danced her way back out of the room.

Almost a half hour later, they were all there, perched on the edges of their seats in the living room. Matt was across the room, watching every movement, shouting random spouts of encouragement. Caroline and Stefan were staring intensely at her, biting their lips, waiting for some sign of success. Matt was Jeremy was sitting in the armchair staring into his sister's eyes as she leaned over him, her dark hair pulled back out of her eyes into a ponytail. Elena pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, glaring into her brother's as she spoke to him.

"I kinda feel like she's trying to kill me with her eyes," Jeremy shrank back into the cushion of the chair. "It's weird."

"Jeremy, shush." Elena could see Caroline out of the corner of her eye as she stood up and paced around the room. "Elena, relax."

"Say it like you mean it," Stefan said for the third time that afternoon. "Like he has no choice but to believe you."

Elena tried the words again, trying her best to ignore the pulsing at the base of her brother's throat.

"Jeremy, you're going to eat that vegan pizza on the counter in the kitchen," she repeated. "And you're going to like it."

"No, I'm not," her brother shook his head. "I'm really not."

Elena sighed and fell at her brother's feet. She could feel their eyes on her, waiting for her to say something. Feet shuffled. Matt sighed. Everyone was always watching her. She could feel the panic rising in her stomach and it was getting harder to repress with every passing second.

"Don't give up," Caroline said finally, the excitement in her voice wavering. "You're... _almost_ there."

"Yeah Elena," Matt put in reassuringly. "I'm pretty sure I heard _some_ hesitation in his answer this time."

Elena shook her head.

"No," she stood up quickly. "Thank-you, all of you, but I don't think it's working. It's not working."

"Elena..." Stefan was next to her, rubbing her arm, comforting her like he always did. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Can all of you just let me breathe for 5 minutes?"

That was it. Now she'd done it. The room went silent, every eye in the room staring purposely away from her. She could feel the tears building up behind her eyes once again, but she put her hand over her mouth and willed them back. This was exactly what she had been afraid of, and now she'd done it.

This wasn't working. Not at all.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

She could hear the wind in the trees outside and she shivered involuntarily. She wasn't even cold. She hadn't felt cold since she'd hit the water when they'd driven off the bridge, like needles hitting every inch of her body. Taking her last human breaths away from her. Killing her.

"I'm just really tired. I'm sorry."

She left the room before anyone could say anything, and shut herself in her room. She lay down on her bed and curled herself up in her sheets. They felt so different against her skin now. They were scratchy and foreign. Like every nerve ending in her body was working twice as hard, allowing no room for familiarities.

A tear rolled down the edge of her cheek and she wiped it away angrily. She was tired of crying and being the damsel in distress. Becoming a vampire had certainly made her stronger physically, but it was as though it had crumbled her emotions in the process. And she _hated_ it. She wanted to be Elena Gilbert, the girl everyone leaned on. The girl who, despite being relatively small, felt needed.

She lay there for hours, spinning her daylight ring around on her finger, again and again. She listened to the footsteps of her friends as they paced downstairs, to Caroline's worried voice as she said good-bye through the door.

"_You know where to find me if you need me, Elena_. _Love you."_

She heard the front door shut as they left, one by one. Eventually, Jeremy and Stefan left as well.

"_We'll be back in a bit, Elena_. _I left some food in the microwave_."

She'd laughed at that one. Food, like it was some kind of soup or a homemade biscuit. Like it wasn't a mug filled with the deep red human fluid. Like she was actually normal or something.

But as they left and the door shut behind them, she curled up tighter and let the tears fall. They were just trying to do what she wanted. Always just trying to help.

The room darkened as night fell over the world once again. She slid her daylight ring off her finger and put it in the pocket of her jeans. She felt instantly calmed, as though it's presence had clouded her mind and now she could see clearly. The feeling built in her chest. It was now or never, and she knew what she had to do.

She untangled herself from her sheets and got up, walking over to her dresser and picking up her diary. It had been weeks since she'd even looked at it and it seemed strange to her, like it wasn't even hers anymore. Memoirs of another girl. She tore out and page and picked up a pen, readying her thoughts. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't hurt them - that wouldn't hurt Stefan. She took a deep breath and decided on honesty. It was the only thing she had left.

_Dear Stefan, _

_I'm sorry but I have to do this. I feel like I don't know who I am anymore and I've tried, but I can't seem to find myself here. I love all of you with all of my heart. I know I don't have a right to ask for anything right now, but it would mean a lot to me if you could pass on the message. Thank-you for trying, I know you did everything you could. Please don't come looking for me. I'll come back when I can. _

_Love,_

_Elena_

She made her bed and folded up the piece of paper, placing it carefully on top of her pillow. Grabbing her jacket and a scarf, she opened the window at the far side of the room and looked out into the night. The air was crisp and dry. When there was no sign of anyone around, she climbed onto the windowsill.

She let herself look back at her room one last time. It was the same room where she had grown up, where her parents had kissed her goodnight, where she had practiced her cheerleading routines until she thought her legs would fall off. But now the room felt like a crypt. It belonged to a human girl, with a life ahead of her.

She slid out and let herself fall to the ground, still surprised at how gracefully she was able to land on the lawn below. The night air filled her up and for the first time in weeks, she felt free.

She took a deep breath, and then she ran.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chasing Glory**

By Lanie

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries or Delena.

A/N: Sorry for the month-long hiatus. College is kicking my ass this month. As far as TVD is concerned, the "sire bond" Delena story is BS. I got so mad I had to finish this chapter and post it ASAP. Thanks for waiting.

* * *

Chapter 3

Damon took a sip of whiskey as a young girl from the nearby college chattered in his ear. He couldn't even remember her name (Ally? Cally?), but she was decent-looking and he was desperate. Even the whiskey couldn't blur the edges of Elena's face in his head, no matter how much he drank, or how far he ran.

He nodded haphazardly as the girl bragged on about her high placement on the college dance team. She was trying too hard, but they always did. The girl had smooth red hair and bright blue eyes, bubbly and loud. The important thing was that she wasn't like _her_. She didn't look like Elena and she didn't act like Elena. And right now, that was all he needed in the world.

He turned to her.

"You're pretty," he slurred, not realizing how much the alcohol was affecting him until he spoke. She smiled at him, blinking her bright eyes. Damon noticed she had barely touched the sweet, berry-flavored drink infront of her. She put her hand on top of his. He felt nothing.

"I'm drunk and I want you to take me home," she looked him straight in the eye and spoke boldly.

"Oh?" He smirked and stared back at her. She wasn't even buzzed. The girl took this as her answer and stared back at him confidently, waiting for him to make the next move. Damon laughed.

He couldn't do it. Even here, even with this girl who was willing to throw herself into bed with him without being compelled or coerced. He still couldn't do it. An empty kind of ache echoed through his body, reminding him of what he could not forget.

Elena Gilbert. She was his only one. It wasn't as though this was the first time he had realized this. He had always known it; even on the first day he met her, bright and full of life, before her life had fallen to pieces. She was his only one, but he would never have her, and it hurt like hell.

"You're very pretty," Damon said calmly, looking into her eyes. He found what he was looking for immediately. Controlling people was what he did best.

"But I want you to go across the room and talk to the boy with the football jacket until he buys you a drink."

"Okay," the girl nodded obediently and got up, the confidence in her step just as bright as before. Damon turned back to the bar and set a wad of bills on the counter, grabbing a sealed bottle of whiskey from behind the counter as he stood up. All around him, college girls fluttered their eyelashes at douchebags with faux-hawks and fake tans. He couldn't stay here. He was tired of bars and public and _people_. Suddenly, a dark room to brood in alone seemed a lot more appealing than this place.

He opened the bottle and took a swig as he pushed open the door and walked out into the night.

Elena knocked hesitantly on door 407 of the sleaziest motel she had ever laid eyes on. She listened, waiting for the familiar sound of Damon's footsteps as he approached the door. There was only silence. Her throat burned, and she swallowed.

She bit her lip. Her stomach was fluttering with nerves and she didn't know why. Sure, she was expecting him to be mad at her. But it wasn't like he'd never been mad at her before. She told herself that it was sort of just what they did. She wouldn't let herself admit that this time was different; that this time, when she looked into his eyes, she might not see the warmth that she had become accustomed to. The look he saved just for her.

She listened again, harder this time. In the back of her mind, she was afraid of what she might hear. Of finding someone else in the room with him, someone like the girl who had picked up his phone and said hello after the fifth time she called him three nights ago. That was the night she left behind everything she knew back in Mystic Falls and headed out on her own. She hadn't even been able to ask who it was before the line went dead, and her heart sunk. Who was the girl, and why had he let her answer his phone? She knew it shouldn't bother her. She had no right or claim on him; she had given that up a long time ago. But she couldn't help it. The thought made her stomach turn.

Carefully, she pulled the keycard out of her pocket and slid it into the door. She looked around nervously, in case someone came running to stop her, but there was no one around. The clerk at the desk had no problem handing over the key once she had looked him in the eye and asked nicely. It was surprising to her how quickly she had learned to compel people once she had no other choice. The only problem she had encountered in the motel office was her overpowering bloodlust. She hadn't fed since she had left home, for fear of losing control. She didn't want to hurt anyone. But it would have been so easy, alone in that office in the middle of the night, with no one else around for miles...

She shook her head as the light turned green. She needed to find him. She opened the door and stepped defiantly into the room.

It was empty.

Her heart sank. He wasn't here. Maybe he was gone already. Her tracking skills left a lot to be desired, she knew that, and he had already had a head start.

"Damon?" she called halfheartedly, knowing there would be no reply. She walked into the room and left the door open behind her, letting the moon light her way. The bed looked relatively frumpy and used, like it had been thrown together in a hurry, but she didn't know if she should expect anything more from a dirty motel like this. She walked over to it and bent her head over it. She was a vampire now, and she knew his smell like the back of her hand. _Maybe_, she thought. She leaned her nose down and hovered inches above the fabric, breathing in.

The light flicked on above her and she turned quickly, throwing herself hard against the wall in surprise. She felt the drywall crack behind her.

"Elena?"

Damon stood in the doorway clutching a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. He froze there, staring at her as though he had just seen a ghost. She couldn't help but smile, just briefly. He was here.

"Damon, I-"

"What are you doing here?" he cut her off suddenly, his eyes narrowing into a cool glare.

"Well, I-"

"How did you even find me?"

Elena took a deep breath. She had been expecting him to be mad and she couldn't let it get to her now. Not when she needed to convince him otherwise.

"I learned how to compel people when I left. It was so much easier on my own. I followed your trail of college bars and sleazy motels until it lead me here."

The room faded into silence as Damon strode into the room, never taking his eyes off her. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Clever," Damon said finally, as he came to a stop a few inches from her face. "I guess the real question here is, _why_ are you here?"

"I-" Elena started. "I don't really know..."

"You don't know?" Damon stated. "Well let me guess. You're here because being my little brother's guinea pig for new and improved methods wasn't working for you, am I right?"

Elena swallowed and her eyes narrowed. She hated him because he _was_ right. But she didn't want to fight with him.

"I figured if you didn't want to be found, you wouldn't have used your real name."

Damon stopped and his lips twisted into a cool smirk. She hated that smile; it wasn't the real him. It was his defense against the world. It made her want to scream.

The thirst in her throat burned white-hot. She was afraid of what she would do, afraid of herself. He couldn't leave her here. She was terrified to be left alone.

"Please, Damon," she blinked back tears as her voice cracked. She couldn't lose it, not now. "I - need help."

She watched as Damon's features softened. He looked into her eyes and she lost her breath.

"How long has it been?"

Elena didn't need to ask what he meant. It was the only thing she could think of; the vein, a pulse, the hot, sweet substance she hated herself for needing. In that moment he was the only thing between her and the man sitting in the motel office. The vein on his neck, pumping, inviting...

"Three days," she whispered.

Three long, agonizing days. She didn't know how much longer she would have been able to hang on if she hadn't of found him. The thought terrified her.

"Elena," Damon reached out and tilted her chin until she was staring into his eyes. They melted into hers. His cold facade was gone. She was safe.

"We're going to go out and find you some blood. But you're going to have to listen to me. And you're going to have to use that strength I know you have inside of you. Understand me?"

"Yes," Elena whispered, swallowing the burn. "It hurts, Damon."

"I know," Damon whispered. He took hold of her face with two hands. "But you're going to be okay. You're going to get through this."

Elena nodded. She was terrified to leave the room, but she didn't trust anyone else in the world right now.

He was her safety net, the only thing between the outside world and the fire in her throat.

He was her only hope.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! Despite finals, the new chapter should be coming relatively soon. Your thoughts are much appreciated!


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